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Jan 26, 2010
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which are pending in the united states senate. that is a frustration of the members of the house who worked hard on those pieces of legislation covering broad sections of policy. i mentioned that george washington's theory and the founding father's theory was the senate was to perhaps cool the passions that may be enacted by a body elected every two years. of course, the senate was originally representatives of the states, not of the people. they're now directly elected, of course, starting in the last century. but what they have become very rapidly over the last few years -- and both parties have affected this, but over the last four years, republicans in the senate have grown this to historic proportions in terms of utilization of the filibuster. by geometric progression order of magnitude of the numbers of time cloture needs to be invoked or voted upon. americans are frustrated by that. the majority rules in america. it's one thing to have a considered process. it's another thing to have a broken process. and many of us believe
which are pending in the united states senate. that is a frustration of the members of the house who worked hard on those pieces of legislation covering broad sections of policy. i mentioned that george washington's theory and the founding father's theory was the senate was to perhaps cool the passions that may be enacted by a body elected every two years. of course, the senate was originally representatives of the states, not of the people. they're now directly elected, of course, starting in...
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Jan 28, 2010
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not to this united states senator. it seems to me that what common sense suggests is that we break up these large financial institutions so, a, that the american people are never again put in the position of having to bail them out because they're too big to fail. and second of all, that we begin to understand what teddy roosevelt understood 100 years ago, is that that concentration of ownership is dangerous for the economy. today you have four major banks who are writing -- who are providing two-thirds of the credit cards in this country. four major financial institutions, two-thirds of all the credit cards. you have four major financial institutions who are writing half the mortgages in america. that's wrong. break up the large financial institutions, as we've talked about all over the world. ben bernanke has the ability to begin to do that tomorrow. i've not heard one word from him to suggest that he will do that. madam president, the american people are angry. the american people are frustrated. and what they are a
not to this united states senator. it seems to me that what common sense suggests is that we break up these large financial institutions so, a, that the american people are never again put in the position of having to bail them out because they're too big to fail. and second of all, that we begin to understand what teddy roosevelt understood 100 years ago, is that that concentration of ownership is dangerous for the economy. today you have four major banks who are writing -- who are providing...
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Jan 25, 2010
01/10
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the united states senate. it takes 60% of the house of representatives and the president reserves and preserves his ability to veto. so anybody that says this is somehow unconstitutional, it is fully constitutional. anybody who says we're farming out the responsibility to come up with a plan, that's what we always do. we always have committees come up with plans that then come to a vote of the congress. and if you look at fiscal crises, as the one that we're in today and the one that's rapidly approaching, that will be far more serious than the one today, we have always had a special process. whether it was andrews air force base in the 1990's or the greenspan commission in the 1980's, we have repeatedly, when we faced fiscal crisis, resorted to a special procedure. the bipartisan fiscal task force, as i've indicated, requires a bipartisan outcome. 14 of the 18 task force members must agree to the recommendations. the final passage requires super majorities in both the senate and the house. mr. president, this
the united states senate. it takes 60% of the house of representatives and the president reserves and preserves his ability to veto. so anybody that says this is somehow unconstitutional, it is fully constitutional. anybody who says we're farming out the responsibility to come up with a plan, that's what we always do. we always have committees come up with plans that then come to a vote of the congress. and if you look at fiscal crises, as the one that we're in today and the one that's rapidly...
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Jan 22, 2010
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president, under the previous administration, we saw the debt of the united states double. they were basically handed -- they were handed a budget surplus, and they turned it into an enormous budget deficit. over the next eight years, sadly, with no work, if we do nothing, it is projected to double again. long-term projections vary, but it is clear that this course is not the course that we want to take. despite years of talk from both parties, little progress has been made, which is why i believe that to ensure the nation's future economic security, we need to establish a budget commission dedicated to examining this problemmed in detail and coming up with recommendations to address the long-term fiscal challenges of this country. and i don't want just to have, mr. president, a study that sits on a shelf. the american people deserve better than that. that's why i believe it is very important to have the statutory commission with an up-and-down vote on the recommendations of the commission. it has worked before for social security. and i believe that it will work here. i re
president, under the previous administration, we saw the debt of the united states double. they were basically handed -- they were handed a budget surplus, and they turned it into an enormous budget deficit. over the next eight years, sadly, with no work, if we do nothing, it is projected to double again. long-term projections vary, but it is clear that this course is not the course that we want to take. despite years of talk from both parties, little progress has been made, which is why i...
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Jan 21, 2010
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in conjunction with the president of the united states. the president of the juice going to make a budget recommendation to the congress in just a matter of a few day, almost a week or so. that's a job of a president, to make a recommendation to the congress what he thinks our budget should be and its a up to the congress then to decide how to deal with that. we've used the regular order through health care. we cut budget deficits by a large amount. as i indicated, it worked. i think that we should just be courageous enough as members of congress to do what's right, step up and do what we have to do. if we don't do the job, probably our voters will get somebody else to do the job. that's their -- that's their right. that's their privilege. mr. president, i strongly urge the defeat of the conrad-gregg amendment. it's just not a good thing to do. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from delaware. mr. kaufman: mr. president, i ask to speak as if in morning business for up to 14 minutes. the presidin
in conjunction with the president of the united states. the president of the juice going to make a budget recommendation to the congress in just a matter of a few day, almost a week or so. that's a job of a president, to make a recommendation to the congress what he thinks our budget should be and its a up to the congress then to decide how to deal with that. we've used the regular order through health care. we cut budget deficits by a large amount. as i indicated, it worked. i think that we...
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Jan 22, 2010
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was in the japanese american war, so when he came back into the united states, it was tough. i mean, i probably as young as four or five, i really understood what racism really was all about. we had to move every ten months. >> did he first introduce you to this whole world of music, of instruments? >> really did. at five years old i had to start playing the piano, so i took piano lessons. i loved it. there were times when i didn't like it. i would rather be outplaying with my friends, but coming home from school i just had to sit down and practice. my real love was the violin. >> is music your first love? >> not only is it my first love, the music has given me the foundation for life. >> in what ways? >> i think every child, and i am glad you were one of my students. [ laughter ] >> don't tell anybody. >> i am really teaches you how to focus, teaches you how to organize t teaches you how to listen. it teaches you how to communicate. i really like the town. i like the countryside. it was just something that i never experienced before. >> can you explain your not just your pas
was in the japanese american war, so when he came back into the united states, it was tough. i mean, i probably as young as four or five, i really understood what racism really was all about. we had to move every ten months. >> did he first introduce you to this whole world of music, of instruments? >> really did. at five years old i had to start playing the piano, so i took piano lessons. i loved it. there were times when i didn't like it. i would rather be outplaying with my...
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Jan 20, 2010
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in fact, it doesn't look like for the ten-year window that we do budgeting here in the united states senate that we're ever going to have a year where we don't have a deficit somewhere in the $1 trillion range. we looked at a $1.4 trillion last year, looking at another $1.2 trillion deficit for this year. at some point we just keep racking up more and more debt that gets passed on to future generations and future taxpayers. and as the senator from new hampshire pointed out, admission into the european union, there are a couple of key thresholds. one is debt as a percentage of g.d.p., which is 60%, is the threshold for admission into the european union. and deficits to g.d.p., which is about 3%, and as he also pointed out very effectively, we are at thresholds here in this country which exceed dramatically the deficit the to g.d.p. threshold that wouldn't even allow us to get into the european union, and we're going to blow by the debt to g.d.p. threshold probably here in the next year, which is 60% debt to g.d.p. my whole point is we're getting in peril ouster tore when it comes -- p
in fact, it doesn't look like for the ten-year window that we do budgeting here in the united states senate that we're ever going to have a year where we don't have a deficit somewhere in the $1 trillion range. we looked at a $1.4 trillion last year, looking at another $1.2 trillion deficit for this year. at some point we just keep racking up more and more debt that gets passed on to future generations and future taxpayers. and as the senator from new hampshire pointed out, admission into the...
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Jan 21, 2010
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states of being tried here in the united states. richard reed, the shoe bomber. this isn't as if it's the first time anything like this happened. and, of course, the rules are even though they are now proceeding in the civil courts, they can always draw back and drop into -- and fall into the category of war criminals if, in fact, the choice is made. just because they are going forward in this manner today doesn't mean they can't drop back in some other manner at some subsequent time. so -- and i would say, even though i don't like to discuss what went on in a closed briefing in a classified setting, i was there from the very beginning to the very end of mr. brennan's presentation, and i never heard him refuse to answer. in fact, he answered the question that was asked in a number of different ways by my friend, the republican leader, and another republican senator. so if there are any questions about anything that mr. brennan had to say, i would hope that those questions would be asked to him directly. we have had some open hearing
states of being tried here in the united states. richard reed, the shoe bomber. this isn't as if it's the first time anything like this happened. and, of course, the rules are even though they are now proceeding in the civil courts, they can always draw back and drop into -- and fall into the category of war criminals if, in fact, the choice is made. just because they are going forward in this manner today doesn't mean they can't drop back in some other manner at some subsequent time. so -- and...
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Jan 20, 2010
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obama as president of the united states. but even 50 years ago when such america could barely dream of such a future, dr. king knew this day would come. his vision never faltered in spite of the dark days he witnessed and the tragic violence and eventually took his life. the march toward equality has been long. it began long before dr. king walked this earth and it will continue long after all of us are gone. so long as this great nation endures, dr. king's spirit will live on in our highest as aspirations. his voice rings through our history. although he did not live to see the promised land, his steadfast gaze still guide our every step and his booming voice sets the a cadence of our march. and we know he will be waiting for us when we get there. in the future a monument to dr. king will rise on the national mall, just a short distance from the great building here of the united states chambers. he will stand shoulder toll showld with other -- shoulder toll shoulder with our giants in our history, washington, jefferson, lin
obama as president of the united states. but even 50 years ago when such america could barely dream of such a future, dr. king knew this day would come. his vision never faltered in spite of the dark days he witnessed and the tragic violence and eventually took his life. the march toward equality has been long. it began long before dr. king walked this earth and it will continue long after all of us are gone. so long as this great nation endures, dr. king's spirit will live on in our highest as...
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Jan 26, 2010
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or the administration of the united states. and i will fairly note that this out-of-control spending was not invented with this administration. republicans, when they were in charge, let spending get completely out of control and we betrayed our fiscal base and we paid a heavy price for it. but we deserve to nay price. but now is the time to say stop. stop borrowing against our children and grandchildren's future. stop putting ourselves in a precarious situation where the chinese own so much of our national debt that they have their hand on the throttle of the american economy. and i hasten to add it is not in the chinese interest to hurt the american economy. but it certainly can't be in our interest in any way to be in that kind of fiscal jeopardy. we cannot do that. not to mention the $3.5 trillion that's held by -- in our -- in our debt that's held by foreigners. so i ask my colleagues, let's look at dr. coburn's amendment. it's very thought out. it's well researched. and let's put the brakes on mortgaging of america's futu
or the administration of the united states. and i will fairly note that this out-of-control spending was not invented with this administration. republicans, when they were in charge, let spending get completely out of control and we betrayed our fiscal base and we paid a heavy price for it. but we deserve to nay price. but now is the time to say stop. stop borrowing against our children and grandchildren's future. stop putting ourselves in a precarious situation where the chinese own so much of...
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Jan 28, 2010
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united states leads in around the world. that we are not ten years from now seeing the kind of dark-market activity around the globe that has transpired here. instead, the united states, as the president says, learns from a teachable moment and leads the rest of the world on the types of markets and transparency that we expect. so i hope that the fed chairman will embrace this task of a more robust leadership, on the policies and regulation that need to be put into place to prevent another bubble and to helping immediately small businesses. i don't want to leave the american people with the thought that somehow wall street is more important than main street. that is not what sent us -- it's not what sent me to washington and it's not what sent my colleagues. so i hope that we will work in earnest as republicans and democrats to urge the administration and the fed to pass, to immediately adopt and implement a program to give community banks and small businesses the access to capital. one of the people, madam president, that i
united states leads in around the world. that we are not ten years from now seeing the kind of dark-market activity around the globe that has transpired here. instead, the united states, as the president says, learns from a teachable moment and leads the rest of the world on the types of markets and transparency that we expect. so i hope that the fed chairman will embrace this task of a more robust leadership, on the policies and regulation that need to be put into place to prevent another...
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Jan 25, 2010
01/10
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no one has served that state in the united states senate longer than senator specter. so i congratulate my friend arlen specter on making this historic milestone, and it will make pennsylvania proud. he has -- no one that i served with in the senate has a better legal mind than arlen specter. we always look to him when there is a complex legal issue to come and give one of his renowned statements, and so i -- i'm sorry to hold everybody here, but i wanted this night not to go forward without saying about our friend, arlen specter. the presg oicer: the question occurs on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. there is. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the nomination is confirmed.the evious order, the motion is reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, the president shall be immediately notified of the senate's action, and the senate will resume legislative session.
no one has served that state in the united states senate longer than senator specter. so i congratulate my friend arlen specter on making this historic milestone, and it will make pennsylvania proud. he has -- no one that i served with in the senate has a better legal mind than arlen specter. we always look to him when there is a complex legal issue to come and give one of his renowned statements, and so i -- i'm sorry to hold everybody here, but i wanted this night not to go forward without...